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The Foote Files: Happy 80th Birthday CBS World News Roundup

(CBS11) – On Tuesday, March 13, 2018, CBS News Radio (formerly known as the CBS Radio Network although it is still referred to this way) will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the CBS World News Roundup.

The Roundup, as it is oftentimes referred to, is an extended network radio news “hourly.” It is a 10-minute newscast that airs every morning over many CBS Radio affiliates at 8am ET. The program got its start in March 1938 as a response to the growing tensions in Europe. NBC Radio was already doing a good job in covering it but CBS President William S. Paley and News Director Paul White wanted to air a show intended to be even better than NBC’s version. Robert Trout, a longtime CBS Radio newsman, was the initial host. There were also short wave versions of the show from Paris, Berlin, Rome, London, and Vienna. Also heard were legendary newsmen Edward R. Murrow and William L Shirer.

CBS World News Roundup first broadcast

My first encounter with the WNR was as a kid growing up in Dallas hearing it on KRLD, a 50,000 watt powerhouse (and still is!). And who was the announcer I heard? None other than Dallas Townsend. But there were others: Douglas Edwards (who had anchored the CBS Evening News on TV), Winston Burdett, Ned Calmer, Reid Collins, Bill Lynch, and Christopher Glenn. There is an evening version hosted by Dave Barrett. A weekend version was hosted by Dan Raviv and later Steve Dorsey.

Today, the weekday version of the Roundup is hosted by Steve Kathan.

Very few network radio shows make 80 years. Happy birthday CBS World News Roundup and we hope you have many more!

Listen to the Roundup’s first broadcast from 1938!

Ken FooteKen Foote is the Director of Programming for CBS 11 and TXA 21.
Foote has been in the radio/TV business since 1978 when he joined WGHP-TV in...More fromKen Foote